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Beginners Heraldry |
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By Mark Harden of Cowdenknowes, ygr
FSA
Scot. |
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The first point that
should be made about heraldry is that there is no such thing as a �Family
Coat of Arms�. This is a form of marketing used by the �Heraldry for Sale�
bucket shops and websites that are becoming a common sight, both on the
internet and at highland games all over the world. Armorial bearings,
which is a more formal description of a coat of arms, are, at least in
Scotland, the personal property of one person only. Displaying arms which
are not registered to you, or which you do not have a right to, can lead
to prosecution in countries such as Scotland, where heraldry is carefully
regulated. In other countries you could just look foolish.
In Scotland all things armorial are governed by the laws of arms
administered by the Court of the Lord Lyon. The origin of the office of
Lord Lyon is shrouded in the mists of history, but various Acts of
Parliament, especially those of 1592 and 1672 supplement the established
authority of Lord Lyon and his brother heralds. The Lord Lyon is a great
officer of state and has a dual capacity, both ministerial and judicial.
In his ministerial capacity, he acts as heraldic advisor to the Sovereign,
appoints messengers-at-arms, conducts national ceremony and grants arms.
In his judicial role, he decides on questions of succession, authorizes
the matriculation of arms, registers pedigrees, which are often used as
evidence in the matter of succession to peerages, and of course judges in
cases when the Procurator Fiscal prosecutes someone for the wrongful use
of arms.
Arms should not be used in Scotland unless they are recorded in the
Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland. Armorial bearings can be
acquired by petitioning the Lord Lyon, but only if you come within his
jurisdiction (www.lyon-court.com).
However, in England you would approach the College of Arms (www.college-of-arms.gov.uk).
A person who has arms is called an armiger (figs1 & 3) and his family is
considered armigerous. His wife may use her husband�s arms on a shield
(fig1) while he is alive and on an oval or lozenge (fig2) after his death.
Any unmarried daughter may also use her father�s arms in an oval or
lozenge (fig2) until she marries. If a daughter marries an armigerous man,
she may impale her arms with his (fig4). If she is an heraldic heiress,
that is she has no brothers, her children may then quarter their father�s
and mother�s arms together (fig4a). |
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| fig 1 |
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| fig 2 |
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fig 3 |
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| fig 4 |
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| fig 4a |
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The next member of an armiger�s family with
a right to bear their father�s arms is the heir; this is the person who
will inherit the arms on the death of the armiger, usually the eldest son,
unless specified otherwise in the Letters Patent. The heir has the right
to use and display the arms but must display them differenced by a label
of three points (figs 5,6 & 7). This label stays on the heir�s arms during
the lifetime of the holder. This shows that he is the heir and that the
holder is still living; the label is simply removed when the heir
inherits. The label can be of any design or colour as long as it is
clearly visible upon the arms. |
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According to the Scottish laws of heraldry,
a younger son has no right to his father�s arms but must petition to
matriculate from those of his father his own arms, which will be
differenced from his father�s. This differencing is often done with a
bordure, according to the Stodart system, depending on the birth order of
the son: the second son would have a bordure Or (gold), the third Argent
(silver), the fourth Gules (red), the fifth Azure (blue) and the sixth
Sable (black). It is possible also to difference by the addition of a
charge, perhaps from the mother�s arms, or by changing the partition lines
from perhaps straight to, for example, engrailed. |
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Bordure Or |
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| Bordure
Argent |
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| Bordure
Gules |
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| Bordure
Azure |
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| Bordure
Sable |
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Any descendant may choose to vary the crest
and motto. The original motto would have been chosen at the time of the
grant and might well say something about the family. The crest, which is
mounted on top of the helmet, would also have done the same but in a
symbolic way. Each matriculant can change these two parts of the
achievement to refer to himself. |
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As mentioned earlier, the
armorial bearings are the personal property of the armiger and are
protected by law. The arms can be used in many ways, such as on silver,
stationery, cups, T-shirts, badges, caps, plaques, banners and just about
anything else. It is well worth checking with your heraldic authority
before making any banners as the size of a banner may be regulated.
Bearing arms is an honour and people who bear arms have something to be
proud of; armigers are encouraged to display them in every way they can.
If you have an ancestor who resided in the colonies while your colony was
under the jurisdiction of the British crown, ie prior to September 1783
for the USA, and you are a descendant in the male line of that ancestor,
then you can petition the Lord Lyon for a grant of arms in memory of that
ancestor and also to matriculate those arms, suitably differenced for
yourself.
My thanks to Raymond
S. Morris of Balgonie and Eddergoll for the use of his and his family's
arms. |
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